Board of Trustees and Academy Council Members

Patricia (Tricia) Pritchard, Chairman

Tricia has extensive experience of education across all sectors, including twelve years of headship in three primary schools in Oxfordshire, ten years as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors which culminated in her appointment as Policy Lead and Principal Officer for the inspection of initial teacher training and specialist commissioned inspections, and nearly three years as Director of Education for the Diocese of Ely and Chief Executive of the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust. She has sat on the Board of the Teacher Training Agency, represented Ofsted on the Board of the Training and Development Agency, worked with the DfE on several projects and worked with the National College as an operational associate on their licensed leadership development provision.

Laura Trimble

Laura joined the Trust in 2015. She studied at Oxford, where she graduated with a Masters in Maths. Laura has worked for HSBC for a number of years, initially in their graduate training scheme and now in a variety of different roles in the capital market area. She brings a broad range of experience to the Board, and hopes that her knowledge of the financial industry and business skills will directly benefit the children under the care of the Woodard Academies Trust. Laura has two children under the age of three and a long lasting interest in triathlon and endurance sports.

Anthony Prince

Anthony was educated at Denstone. After a short service commission in the Royal Navy he read mathematics at Oxford, and completed an MBA at INSEAD in Fontainebleau. He is a Chartered Engineer in Information Systems and a Fellow of the Chartered Securities Institute. His work has spanned a number of industries including international finance, public sector, construction, and small businesses. In the education sector he has been a bursar and finance director at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and at a number of private schools and academies. Anthony is also a member of the Trust’s Audit Committee.

Richard Peers

Father Richard Peers has worked for over 30 years in all phases of schooling, he has taught every age of pupils beginning his career as a Reception teacher. Richard has worked as chaplain in two inner city secondary schools; as a Primary and Secondary Deputy Head and inspected church schools. He is currently Director of Education in the Diocese of Liverpool where he is leading the formation of a Diocesan led Multi-Academy Trust. Richard’s previous post was as Head of a south London school. Richard led the school through a total re-build, opening a Primary school; re-branding and achieved the school’s highest ever academic results. All leading to the school being significantly over-subscribed.

Richard was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1994 he has served as a school Governor, Chair of Governors and chair of the management committee of a Pupil Referral Unit. Richard was borough Chair of Secondary Heads, served on the national Council of the Secondary Heads Association (now ASCL) and sits on the national committee of the Association of Anglican Academy and Secondary Heads.

Geoff Ogle (Safeguarding Trustee)

I was appointed the first chair of Kings Priory School Academy Council when the school was launched in 2013. Prior to that I had been the Chair of Priory Primary School since 2006, joining the school’s governing body in 2001. I am a career civil servant having joined the civil service in 1984 and I am now the Chief Executive for Food Standards Scotland. I have large scale operational experience as well as working in programme management, financial management and policy development. I have three sons who have all attended Kings Priory School with one going to Leeds University, one at Nottingham University and the other still at KPS. As well as experience of a being a public sector accountable officer, I feel bring 15 years of governor experience and a commitment to ensuring that we deliver the best outcomes we can for children attending Woodard Schools.

Sally Pelham

Sally’s background is as a solicitor. Having read Law at Oxford University she worked in private practice for over 16 years (Travers Smith Braithwaite, Stephens Innocent and Eversheds LLP) as well as in-house for the auctioneers Christie’s. She has a broad range of experience in commercial matters, governance, art, charity and education law. She was Chair of Governors at Polam Hall School from 2010 -2017, a period which saw the school change from being an independent school for girls to a coeducational free school which joined the Woodard Academies Trust in April 2017. Sally works with a number of charitable organisations based in the North East. She is an independent Governor and Deputy Chair at Northumbria University. She is also Chair of Trustees at Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books, and a Trustee at Kiplin Hall, a Jacobean Manor House in North Yorkshire.

Margaret Holman (bio coming soon)

Please click here to view Trustees dates of appointment and who appointed them (in accordance with the Trust's articles)